Birmingham City Council has responded to revelations they made £4million in parking fines between 2012-13.

We put an appropriate level of parking enforcement into any location, to ensure that we are complying with our traffic regulation and safety responsibilities.

Alum Rock Road, for example, is a major arterial route into the city and must be kept as clear as possible. We do monitor parking provision and demands in areas across the city and this is an on-going process.

Drivers have the right of appeal against any notice they feel is issued unfairly.

It has been revealed that Birmingham City Council received more than £4million in parking fines between 2012 and 2013.

The revelation comes as the Government said fines could be reduced and a five minute grace period introduced if drivers are late returning to their cars. Birmingham City Council spends £13million on fines administration, including paying parking wardens.

The council said they use an 'appropriate level of parking enforcement' to ensure safety and that drivers have the right of appeal.

Campaigners in the Midlands have issued a fresh call for parking charges at hospitals to be scrapped, claiming it is 'unfair' to place an extra burden on people and families already suffering with illness.

A report by the Health and Social Care Information Centre reveals the average cost of parking at a hospital is £1.15 per hour - but some, including Midland hospitals, charge much more than this.

Birmingham Women's NHS Foundation Trust charges £2.70 per hour.

It comes after Coventry University Hospital lifted a cap on the amount of money it could demand from people for parking earlier this year.